Left to right: Visiting Chinese members of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Chen Yong-Le, Vice Director Development Center of Science and Technology, Director, Fishery Improved Breed Base; Wei Qiwei, Department Deputy Director at Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute; Wang Qingyin, Deputy Director, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute; meet with Sam D. Hamilton, Regional Director, Southeast Region; Columbus Brown, Assistant Regional Director for Fisheries; and Steve Kohl, U.S. Fish and Wildlife International Affairs.

While the world may be shrinking due to Internet, nothing beats face to face meetings with people. That's what just happened here in the Southeast region in September when three members of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences met with Regional Director Sam Hamilton, Assistant Regional Director for Fisheries Columbus Brown, and other officials to talk -- face to face -- about the fisheries issues affecting both countries.

"The Chinese delegation helped us understand how over-fishing, habitat protection, and pollution are key issues on a global scale," said Sam Hamilton, Regional Director, Southeast Region. "I hope our compatriots also developed a greater understanding of some of our methods and may consider adapting them to meet their needs."

Not only did the three deputy directors explore service programs at the Warm Springs Regional Fisheries Center, Georgia , they viewed captive shortnose sturgeon and examined new culture strategies and technologies at the Bears Bluff Unit of the Fish Technology Center, South Carolina, and visited our Panama City, FL, Fisheries Resources Office and participated in the tracking of Gulf Sturgeon.

The group covered a wide array of Services' Fisheries Programs including:

• fish restoration and recovery, and interjurisdictional fisheries management,

• fish health, health management and fish pathogen identification in the southeastern United States,

• applications of new technologies in fisheries such as using cryogenic principles for gene-banking,

• applying new fish spawning techniques and fishing control mechanisms,

• and regulatory and enforcement concepts.

"I was really pleased that China's leading sturgeon specialists could visit Region 4 to share fishery ideas and techniques," said Steve Kohl, U.S. Fish and Wildlife International Affairs, who coordinated the tour and briefing package. "This was a fantastic learning opportunity for us all." Ms. Chang Yen of Voice of America's Chinese Branch provided language interpretation for the meeting.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, comprising more than 500 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands, and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts.

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Release #: R98-089

1998 News Releases

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